Each day, the team at Aircraft For Sale picks an airplane that catches our attention because it is unique, represents a good deal, or has other interesting qualities. You can read Aircraft For Sale: Today’s Top Pick at FLYINGMag.com daily.
Today’s Top Pick is a 1955 Beechcraft T34A Mentor.
In the years following World War II, Beechcraft boss Walter Beech saw the military trainer market as an opportunity for selling a trainer that would be more economical than the aging AT-6 Texans that were still in use across military training fleets.
Beechcraft modified its then-new 35-series Bonanza with a narrowed fuselage, tandem cockpit, generous bubble canopy, and reinforced airframe, resulting in the T-34 Mentor.
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The new trainer, known for its fine handling and aerobatic capabilities, gained a foothold with military fleets around the world and served for decades with the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps. The aircraft also developed a following among civilian pilots, who snapped them up as surplus when turbine versions of the airframe supplanted the earlier piston models.
For private pilots, the T-34 is an ideal entry-level warbird that combines the familiarity of the Bonanza with the robust airframe, aerobatic prowess, and notable paint schemes of military aircraft. Groups of T-34s often form the highlight of fly-ins and airshows with their signature mass-formation flyovers.
This 1955 T-34A has 3,061 hours on the airframe, 1,503 hours since overhaul on its Continental O-470-13A engine, and 1,490 hours since overhaul on its propeller. The aircraft carries 50 gallons of fuel. Its panel features Aspen and Avidyne avionics, including the Aspen EFD 1000 Pro System and MFD 1000, and the Avidyne IFD-540 GPS/nav/com. It also is equipped with an Insight GEM 610C engine monitor and L-3 NGT 9000 transponder with ADS-B In and Out.
Pilots looking for a practical, easy-flying aircraft that offers an economical path into the warbird community should consider this 1955 Beechcraft T-34A Mentor, which is available for $230,000 on AircraftForSale.
If you’re interested in financing, you can do so with FLYING Finance. Use our airplane loan calculator to calculate your estimated monthly payments. Or, to speak with an aviation finance specialist, visit flyingfinance.com.
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